Cynosure

Corpse : (C)2018 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. Weekend Actuals (03/31-04/01) 01 (01) ¥379,464,200 ($3.6 million), +01%, ¥2,688,170,700 ($25.1 million), Coco (Disney) WK3 02 (02) ¥352,868,200 ($3.3 million), -01%, ¥1,813,069,000 ($17.2 million), The Boss Baby (Toho-Towa) WK2 03 (03) ¥311,681,300 ($2.9 million), -03%, ¥4,238,236,000 ($39.9 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) WK5 04 (04) ¥137,043,300 ($1.3 million), -19%, ¥1,193,917,000 ($11.2 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) WK3 05 (05) ¥133,374,800 ($1.2 million), -18%, ¥4,085,961,000 ($38.4 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK7 06 (---) ¥128,014,000 ($1.2 million), 0, ¥170,827,900 ($1.6 million), The Post (Toho-Towa) NEW 07 (---) ¥75,000,000 ($705,000), 0, ¥100,666,100 ($946,000), Red Sparrow (Fox) NEW 08 (06) ¥64,691,600 ($608,000), -32%, ¥646,218,000 ($6.2 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) WK3 09 (---) ¥64,065,900 ($602,000), 0, ¥64,065,900 ($602,000), Honey (Toei/Showgate) NEW 10 (---) ¥60,000,000 ($565,000), 0, ¥82,055,900 ($771,000), The Commuter (Gaga) NEW >Coco tops the box-office over the weekend for a third-consecutive week, and managed the only increase over the lucrative discount weekend. As a result of the discount weekend, the film sold 328,000 admissions to earn an impressive 16% increase in its third weekend. Overall, Pixar's latest is doing very well, and is outpacing many of the studio's other releases like Up, Wall-E, Inside Out, and Ratatouille, as it aims for a total around ¥4.5-5.0 billion ($40-45 million). >The Boss Baby remained in second place, barely dropping in its second weekend. In terms of admissions, the soon-to-be highest-grossing DreamWorks Animation release sold 318,000 admissions in its sophomore frame, up 11% over its opening weekend. After just 12 days in release, the film is already the sixth highest-grossing DreamWorks Animation release and will surpass Shrek 2 to claim the #1 spot in the next week or two. Expect a total a bit above ¥3 billion ($30 million). >Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island holds strong in in third place in its fifth weekend of release, selling 289,000 admissions to increase 6% over last weekend. The thirty-eighth entry in the series achieved the biggest fifth weekend in the series (after claiming the record for all previous weekends), and is now just a few hundred million away from becoming the highest-grossing film in long-running franchise and should finish around ¥5.5 billion ($50 million+). >The Greatest Showman, as usual, holds well once again and is now outpacing last year's La La Land. It's going to surpass The Phantom of the Opera in the coming days to become the fourth highest-grossing live-action musical in the market, and will surpass La La Land to become the third in a couple weeks. It'll end up exceeding ¥4.5 billion ($42/43 million) before its excellent performance comes to a close. >The Post wasn't able to debut in the Top 5, having to settle for sixth place, selling a mediocre 109,840 admissions across 281 screens. This one should have been a fairly safe ¥1 billion ($10 million) earner, but it's highly unlikely to reach that milestone with this debut. >Red Sparrow hasn't had its weekend figure released yet, but its 3-day total was and it's almost identical to estimates (with 82,737 admissions on 337 screens), so the weekend frame estimate above should be very close. I normally wouldn't come back later to update it since it's below ¥100 million, but if anyone reading is interested in this one, just let me know.

Corpse : (C)2018 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. Weekend Estimates (03/31-04/01) 01 (01) ¥397,000,000 ($3.7 million), +06%, ¥2,750,000,000 ($25.6 million), Coco (Disney) WK3 02 (02) ¥359,000,000 ($3.3 million), +02%, ¥1,825,000,000 ($17.3 million), The Boss Baby (Toho-Towa) WK2 03 (03) ¥317,000,000 ($3.0 million), -02%, ¥4,250,000,000 ($40.0 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) WK5 04 (04) ¥141,000,000 ($1.3 million), -17%, ¥1,175,000,000 ($11.2 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) WK3 05 (05) ¥135,000,000 ($1.3 million), -18%, ¥4,050,000,000 ($38.1 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK7 06 (---) ¥130,000,000 ($1.2 million), 0, ¥170,000,000 ($1.6 million), The Post (Toho-Towa) NEW 07 (---) ¥75,000,000 ($705,000), 0, ¥100,000,000 ($940,000), Red Sparrow (Fox) NEW 08 (06) ¥62,000,000 ($580,000), -35%, ¥650,000,000 ($6.2 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) WK3 09 (---) ¥55,000,000 ($520,000), 0, ¥55,000,000 ($520,000), Honey (Toei/Showgate) NEW 10 (---) ¥55,000,000 ($520,000), 0, ¥55,000,000 ($520,000), The Commuter (Gaga) NEW Note: Everything performed approx. 5-10% better in terms of admissions this weekend (e.g. a 20% decline in gross is likely a 10% decline in admissions) due to the 1st (discount day) falling on the weekend; however, that drives down the weekend average ticket prices. And as such, estimates can vary more versus actuals when this happens. Coco continues to reign atop the box-office over the weekend, likely securing a third-consecutive week at #1 and earning its first weekend at #1 in admissions -- it had ranked second in admissions the last two weekends. Overall, Pixar's latest is doing very well, and is aiming for a total around ¥4.5 billion ($40 million+), which would be above the standard Pixar gross of ¥4 billion. Can Japan get it to $800 million worldwide? The Boss Baby is already DreamWorks Animation's fifth or sixth (pending actuals) highest-grossing film ever, and its second weekend is bigger than any opening weekend for any DreamWorks Animation film as well. It's locked now to outgross Shrek 2 to become the studio's highest-grossing film in the market, and it's not going to be close, really. The surprise hit is aiming for a total above ¥3 billion ($30 million). Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island remains in third place, and delivers the biggest fifth weekend in franchise history. The thirty-eighth entry in the series is now just a few hundred million away from becoming the highest-grossing film in franchise, and should finish around ¥5.5 billion ($50 million+). The Greatest Showman, as usual, holds well once again and should have exceeded the ¥4 billion milestone after Sunday. It's going to surpass The Phantom of the Opera in the coming days to become the fourth highest-grossing live-action musical in the market, and is very likely to outgross La La Land to become the third highest-grossing live-action musical as well. Incredible success. The Post, depending on tomorrow's actuals, might have cracked the Top 5, but either way its debut is a tad disappointing. If the film had any award buzz, I believe it could have opened above ¥200 million without much trouble. As is, it's going to be a struggle to reach the ¥1 billion ($10 million) milestone, and I'd bet against it doing so. Red Sparrow performed alright given the little expectations. It might be able to reach ¥500 million ($5 million), which I'd consider decent enough since Lawrence isn't a known name in the market (The Hunger Games franchise bombed, X-Men franchise has a very niche audience, etc.).

Corpse : Weekend Forecast (03/31-04/01) 01 (01) ¥407,000,000 ($3.8 million), +08%, ¥2,750,000,000 ($25.6 million), Coco (Disney) WK3 02 (02) ¥389,000,000 ($3.6 million), +10%, ¥1,850,000,000 ($17.5 million), The Boss Baby (Toho-Towa) WK2 03 (03) ¥332,000,000 ($3.1 million), +03%, ¥4,275,000,000 ($40.2 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) WK5 04 (05) ¥138,000,000 ($1.3 million), -15%, ¥4,050,000,000 ($38.1 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK7 05 (04) ¥132,000,000 ($1.2 million), -22%, ¥1,175,000,000 ($11.2 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) WK3 06 (---) ¥125,000,000 ($1.2 million), 0, ¥165,000,000 ($1.5 million), The Post (Toho-Towa) NEW 07 (---) ¥80,000,000 ($750,000), 0, ¥105,000,000 ($980,000), Red Sparrow (Fox) NEW 08 (---) ¥75,000,000 ($705,000), 0, ¥90,000,000 ($845,000), Valerian: City of a Thousand Planets (Gaga) NEW 09 (06) ¥71,000,000 ($670,000), -25%, ¥650,000,000 ($6.2 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) WK3 10 (07) ¥68,000,000 ($640,000), -35%, ¥400,000,000 ($3.7 million), Tomb Raider (Warner Bros.) WK2 It's going to be once again, for the third-consecutive weekend, a very close race for the #1 spot. Coco, The Boss Baby, and Doraemon have remained incredibly close to one another on a day-to-day basis since March 21st, and that's not going to change just yet. All three films are looking at increases, with the former two likely to see the biggest potential gains and be the real race for #1 since Doraemon mostly benefits over the weekdays versus weekends during Spring Break (it'll keep the admissions race close, again). I believe Coco will edge out the victory again to claim its third-consecutive weekend at #1, but I also believe it'll come in second/third in admissions for a third-consecutive weekend as well. >The Post appears to be the only opener to make much of an impact over the weekend, and if it gets lucky, it may manage to crack the Top 5. This film probably would have been a little bigger in the market had it performed better during award season, considering its star power. >Red Sparrow and Valerian: City of a Thousand Planets are likely to miss the ¥100 million mark in their debuts, unless they receive a significant boost tomorrow. Neither film was expected to perform well, but missing ¥100 million on a discounted weekend with Spring Break in effect (even if it primarily boosts weekdays) is underwhelming. >Honey isn't included in my forecast because its morning ticket sales are abysmal, but its pre-sales are solid, so it likely has some stage greetings happening later. It's not playing very wide, so unless it has an ample number of stage greetings today AND tomorrow, I don't really seeing it making the Top 10. We'll see -- accurately predicting a barely wide film with stage greetings on a discount weekend is just luck.

Corpse : Thursday (03/22) ¥90 million ($850,000), 0, ¥390 million ($3.7 million), The Boss Baby (Toho-Towa) Day 2 ¥75 million ($710,000), 0, ¥1.21 billion ($11.4 million), Coco (Disney) Day 7 ¥65 million ($615,000), +141%, ¥2.92 billion ($27.5 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) Day 20 ¥45 million ($425,000), 0, ¥540 million ($5.0 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) Day 6 ¥40 million ($380,000), -18%, ¥3.48 billion ($32.8 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) Day 35 ¥25 million ($235,000), 0, ¥100 million ($945,000), Tomb Raider (Warner Bros.) Day 2 ¥20 million ($190,000), -40%, ¥705 million ($6.7 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) Day 13 ¥20 million ($190,000), 0, ¥405 million ($3.8 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) Day 6 ¥10 million ($95,000), -37%, ¥530 million ($4.9 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) Day 13 ¥10 million ($95,000), -57%, ¥1.29 billion ($12.1 million), Black Panther (Disney) Day 22 Friday (03/23) ¥85 million ($810,000), 0, ¥475 million ($4.5 million), The Boss Baby (Toho-Towa) Day 3 ¥75 million ($715,000), -35%, ¥1.28 billion ($12.1 million), Coco (Disney) Day 8 ¥65 million ($620,000), +03%, ¥2.99 billion ($28.1 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) Day 21 ¥45 million ($430,000), 0, ¥585 million ($5.4 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) Day 7 ¥40 million ($380,000), -20%, ¥3.52 billion ($33.2 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) Day 36 ¥25 million ($240,000), 0, ¥125 million ($1.1 million), Tomb Raider (Warner Bros.) Day 3 ¥20 million ($190,000), -47%, ¥725 million ($6.9 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) Day 14 ¥15 million ($140,000), 0, ¥420 million ($3.9 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) Day 7 ¥15 million ($140,000), -37%, ¥545 million ($5.0 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) Day 14 ¥15 million ($140,000), -44%, ¥1.31 billion ($12.2 million), Black Panther (Disney) Day 23 % changes versus same day last week. Note: Spring Break doesn't technically start until March 23rd/24th, but Wednesday is a national holiday and films are beginning to benefit from the Spring box-office season, so I'm posting the dailies a little early this year. The numbers (and holds/increases) will continue to grow as we get closer to April. Weekend Forecast (03/24-25) 01 (01) ¥361,000,000 ($3.4 million), -26%, ¥1,650,000,000 ($15.4 million), Coco (Disney) WK2 02 (02) ¥358,000,000 ($3.4 million), -22%, ¥3,350,000,000 ($31.5 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) WK4 03 (---) ¥275,000,000 ($2.6 million), 0, ¥750,000,000 ($7.1 million), The Boss Baby (Toho-Towa) NEW 04 (05) ¥177,000,000 ($1.7 million), -13%, ¥3,700,000,000 ($34.9 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK6 05 (03) ¥148,000,000 ($1.4 million), -42%, ¥725,000,000 ($6.9 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) WK2 06 (04) ¥126,000,000 ($1.2 million), -44%, ¥550,000,000 ($5.1 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) WK2 07 (---) ¥100,000,000 ($950,000), 0, ¥225,000,000 ($2.1 million), Tomb Raider (Warner Bros.) NEW 08 (06) ¥72,000,000 ($685,000), -39%, ¥800,000,000 ($7.6 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) WK3 09 (07) ¥56,000,000 ($530,000), -47%, ¥1,350,000,000 ($12.7 million), Black Panther (Disney) WK4 10 (08) ¥55,000,000 ($525,000), -38%, ¥600,000,000 ($5.5 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) WK3 >It's going to be another too close to call battle between Coco and Doraemon this weekend. I'm almost certain that Doraemon will come out on top in admissions once again, but the top spot in revenue could go to Coco for a second weekend. >The Boss Baby looks to settle for third place over the weekend in its debut, but third place is higher than any other DreamWorks animation film in the past (Shrek 2 opened in 5th). Its opening weekend will be on par with Shrek 2's for biggest opening weekend for a DreamWorks animation film despite opening three days prior. Simply put, it's damn impressive. >Tomb Raider is generating very little interest and seventh place is as high as it'll debut.

Corpse : Spring Break - Daily Estimates (03/19-04/06) Monday (03/19) ¥85 million ($800,000), 0, ¥695 million ($6.6 million), Coco (Disney) Day 4 ¥60 million ($565,000), +144%, ¥2.40 billion ($22.6 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) Day 17 ¥55 million ($520,000), 0, ¥310 million ($2.9 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) Day 3 ¥45 million ($425,000), -12%, ¥3.29 billion ($31.0 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) Day 32 ¥30 million ($280,000), 0, ¥255 million ($2.3 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) Day 3 ¥30 million ($280,000), -35%, ¥625 million ($5.9 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) Day 10 ¥25 million ($235,000), -35%, ¥465 million ($4.3 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) Day 10 ¥25 million ($235,000), -40%, ¥1.24 billion ($11.6 million), Black Panther (Disney) Day 19 ¥15 million ($140,000), -43%, ¥1.37 billion ($12.7 million), Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa) Day 24 ¥10 million ($95,000), -39%, ¥660 million ($6.1 million), The Shape of Water (Fox) Day 19 Tuesday (03/20) ¥95 million ($895,000), 0, ¥790 million ($7.5 million), Coco (Disney) Day 5 ¥75 million ($705,000), +348%, ¥2.48 billion ($23.3 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) Day 18 ¥55 million ($520,000), 0, ¥365 million ($3.4 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) Day 4 ¥50 million ($470,000), +13%, ¥3.34 billion ($31.5 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) Day 33 ¥30 million ($280,000), -32%, ¥655 million ($6.2 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) Day 11 ¥25 million ($235,000), -20%, ¥1.26 billion ($11.9 million), Black Panther (Disney) Day 20 ¥25 million ($235,000), 0, ¥280 million ($2.6 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) Day 4 ¥20 million ($190,000), -15%, ¥485 million ($4.5 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) Day 11 ¥15 million ($140,000), -24%, ¥1.38 billion ($12.8 million), Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa) Day 25 ¥15 million ($140,000), -11%, ¥675 million ($6.3 million), The Shape of Water (Fox) Day 20 % changes versus same day last week. Note: Spring Break doesn't technically start until March 23rd/24th, but Wednesday is a national holiday and films are beginning to benefit from the Spring box-office season, so I'm posting the dailies a little early this year. The numbers (and holds/increases) will continue to grow as we get closer to April. A few things to know about Spring Break and its impact on the Japanese Box-Office: *Spring Break marks the end of the School Year in Japan, with the new School Year beginning in early April. *Films targeting children (especially under 10) benefit the most, as seen above by Doraemon already experiencing huge increases. Films with significant audiences consisting of teens (students) also enjoy healthy gains during the lucrative season. *Films that attract adult audiences see little benefit from the holiday period, but still see slight boosts. *After the Big Three Holiday Periods of Golden Week, Obon Week, and New Year, Spring Break is the next in box-office revenue during the year.

Corpse : (C)2018 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. Weekend Actuals (03/17-18) 01 (---) ¥488,160,000 ($4.6 million), 0, ¥610,035,000 ($5.8 million), Coco (Disney) NEW 02 (01) ¥459,586,200 ($4.3 million), -35%, ¥2,344,025,400 ($22.1 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) WK3 03 (---) ¥256,555,100 ($2.3 million), 0, ¥256,555,100 ($2.3 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) NEW 04 (---) ¥226,236,600 ($2.1 million), 0, ¥226,236,600 ($1.9 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) NEW 05 (02) ¥204,501,300 ($1.9 million), -23%, ¥3,246,150,900 ($30.6 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK5 06 (03) ¥118,358,700 ($1.1 million), -45%, ¥595,787,300 ($5.6 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) WK2 07 (04) ¥105,253,900 ($994,000), -46%, ¥1,214,907,300 ($11.4 million), Black Panther (Disney) WK3 08 (05) ¥89,416,200 ($844,000), -46%, ¥441,497,900 ($4.1 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) WK2 09 (06) ¥61,050,100 ($576,000), -47%, ¥1,356,478,400 ($12.5 million), Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa) WK4 10 (07) ¥59,703,400 ($564,000), -44%, ¥650,010,000 ($5.9 million), The Shape of Water (Fox) WK3 11 (09) ¥38,271,000 ($361,000), -55%, ¥201,009,100 ($1.8 million), Kids on the Slope (Toho) WK2 12 (10) ¥37,911,200 ($358,000), -47%, ¥530,471,200 ($5.0 million), The 15:17 to Paris (Warner Bros.) WK3 >Coco finally reaches Japan, and debuts atop the box-office with a good start that will likely lead to a very long run. Pixar's latest acclaimed release sold 368,214 admissions over the weekend frame across 511 screens, and 463,383 admissions since opening on Friday. Its debut is 3% below Ratatouille; 9% higher than Wall-E; and 20% higher than Inside Out. All three of those films finished right at the ¥4 billion ($35-40 million) milestone, so that should be the current target for Coco, but I won't be surprised it finishes closer to ¥5 billion ($45 million+) given its better reviews and audience scores. >Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island drops to second place in its third weekend of release, however, it actually ranked #1 in admissions with 388,000 admissions. The thirty-eighth film in the long-running series is tracking well above every other film in the franchise, and is well on track to reaching the ¥5 billion ($50 million) milestone to become the first in the franchise to achieve blockbuster status. >Chihayafuru: Conclusion, the third and final part in the series, debuts in third place, selling 209,962 admissions over the weekend on 307 screens. The send-off appeared to have more interest before release, but it still achieve the best opening in the series, opening a solid 19% above its predecessor. Teens/young adults make up an overwhelming percentage of its audience (86%), so look for it to benefit greatly during the upcoming Spring Break. I don't believe it'll be leggy enough to reach the ¥2 billion milestone, but it should finish comfortably above ¥1.5 billion ($15 million). >Pretty Cure Super Stars! settles for fourth place, selling 202,750 admissions over the weekend across 214 screens. This is one of the best debuts in the series in years, and is up a significant 48% versus last Spring's release. The franchise has been struggling to achieve any ¥1 billion ($10 million) earners for awhile now, but this one should be able to reach that milestone. >The Greatest Showman continues to post great weekend holds, but its weekday business is what's most impressive and is easily outpacing its weekend earnings. As I've mentioned several times, the film is keeping pace with last year's La La Land despite no award recognition, and may very well match or beat it as it's now aiming for a ¥4.5 billion ($40 million+) total. Japan will end up as its second strongest intl. market only behind the United Kingdom. >Black Panther experiences another steep drop, and ultimately wasn't able to capitalize on the film's phenomenal performance/reception in the U.S. and elsewhere to outdo the standard Marvel/DC results. It'll finish just above the ¥1.5 billion ($15 million) mark.

Corpse : (C)2018 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. Weekend Estimates (03/17-18) 01 (---) ¥470,000,000 ($4.4 million), 0, ¥575,000,000 ($5.5 million), Coco (Disney) NEW 02 (01) ¥451,000,000 ($4.3 million), -36%, ¥2,300,000,000 ($21.7 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) WK3 03 (---) ¥250,000,000 ($2.3 million), 0, ¥250,000,000 ($2.3 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) NEW 04 (---) ¥225,000,000 ($2.1 million), 0, ¥225,000,000 ($1.9 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) NEW 05 (02) ¥203,000,000 ($1.9 million), -23%, ¥3,200,000,000 ($30.2 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK5 06 (03) ¥136,000,000 ($1.2 million), -37%, ¥700,000,000 ($6.6 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) WK2 07 (04) ¥108,000,000 ($1.0 million), -45%, ¥1,225,000,000 ($11.5 million), Black Panther (Disney) WK3 08 (05) ¥86,000,000 ($810,000), -48%, ¥425,000,000 ($4.0 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) WK2 09 (06) ¥60,000,000 ($565,000), -47%, ¥1,350,000,000 ($12.5 million), Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa) WK4 10 (07) ¥58,000,000 ($550,000), -45%, ¥650,000,000 ($5.9 million), The Shape of Water (Fox) WK3 Coco appears to have debuted atop the box-office, dethroning Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island, but they're close enough in admissions that we'll probably have to wait until tomorrow's actuals to be sure (only 1,999 admissions separate them from ~75% of the entire market). I'm actually predicting that Coco wins in terms of gross, while Doraemon stays number one in admissions. Either way, it's a good opening that pretty much on par with the standard original Pixar release. Legs are likely to be great, so a total around ¥4 billion ($40 million) is likely, making Japan its third strongest international market behind China and Mexico, and will get it very close to the $800 million worldwide milestone. Chihayafuru: Conclusion will likely come in third place, but like our close battle for the #1 position, Pretty Cure Super Stars! could potentially snag third place once actuals are released. Regarding Chihayafuru, the third and final part of the trilogy, its debut is a little lower than expected, but it also bested the openings of the previous two films based on estimates, so Toho's probably satisfied.

Depending on how Doraemon does this sunday, which it looks set to win, we might have a split weekend with Doraemon winning in admissions but Coco winning in gross.

Corpse : (C)2018 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. Weekend Forecast (03/17-18) 01 (---) ¥485,000,000 ($4.6 million), 0, ¥590,000,000 ($5.6 million), Coco (Disney) NEW 02 (01) ¥478,000,000 ($4.5 million), -32%, ¥2,325,000,000 ($21.9 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) WK3 03 (---) ¥250,000,000 ($2.3 million), 0, ¥250,000,000 ($2.3 million), Chihayafuru: Conclusion (Toho) NEW 04 (---) ¥200,000,000 ($1.9 million), 0, ¥200,000,000 ($1.9 million), Pretty Cure Super Stars! (Toei) NEW 05 (02) ¥191,000,000 ($1.8 million), -28%, ¥3,200,000,000 ($30.2 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK5 06 (03) ¥132,000,000 ($1.2 million), -39%, ¥700,000,000 ($6.6 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) WK2 07 (04) ¥116,000,000 ($1.1 million), -41%, ¥1,225,000,000 ($11.5 million), Black Panther (Disney) WK3 08 (05) ¥104,000,000 ($980,000), -37%, ¥450,000,000 ($4.2 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) WK2 09 (06) ¥71,000,000 ($670,000), -36%, ¥1,350,000,000 ($12.5 million), Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa) WK4 10 (07) ¥59,000,000 ($560,000), -44%, ¥650,000,000 ($5.9 million), The Shape of Water (Fox) WK3 >Coco finally arrives in Japan just ahead of Spring Break and aims to dethrone Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island atop the box-office, but can it? Pre-sales are about 20% below those of Moana's this week last year, and if Coco follows a similar trajectory over the weekend, it'll be targeting a debut between ¥450-500 million -- that's also the range that Doraemon will probably fall in its third weekend, so we should have a close race for the #1 position. >Chihayafuru: Conclusion, the third and final film in the series, will have to settle for third. Surprisingly, its pre-sales are a lot softer than I was expecting, so hopefully it manages to gain momentum over the weekend. >Pretty Cure Super Stars is the latest film in long-running Pretty Cure series, this time a crossover release, and they tend to have pretty consistent debuts; however, this one has noticeably stronger pre-sales than a few of the last films, so I'm predicting a higher debut above the norm -- just not too much higher in case its fanbase is skewing the numbers at the moment. Overall, we should be in store of a strong weekend ahead of Spring Break which begins next week.

Pre-sales for Saturday at the tracked chains : 1) Coco : 31411 2) Precure : 25411 3) Doraemon : 23887 (-44.4%) https://mimorin2014.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-22368.html

The new Conan movie will definitely take all the biggest screens when it opens as it's likely going to have the biggest OW of the year up to now, but unless Coco pulls a Frozen I don't think it will put a damper on its gross significantly at that point in its run, especially since Japan is a market where several big movies can open and/or run at the same time.

Yes. There's been a Doraemon movie every year since 1980 (except in 2005). Japan has quite a few franchises like that : a Crayon Shin-chan movie every year since 1993, a Detective Conan movie every year since 1997, a Pokemon movie every year since 1998.

If Doraemon 38 continues to hold so well and if FB2 declines enough from FB1, then Doraemon has a slight chance to take first place from HP with its 2019 movie. If it doesn't in 2019 it will be on top by 2020 at the latest, albeit not for very long if FB3 comes out in November 2020.

Corpse : (C)藤子プロ・小学館・テレビ朝日・シンエイ・ADK 2018 Weekend Actuals (03/10-11) 01 (01) ¥704,262,700 ($6.6 million), -17%, ¥1,708,813,100 ($16.0 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) WK2 02 (03) ¥264,113,300 ($2.4 million), -10%, ¥2,716,109,300 ($25.5 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK4 03 (---) ¥216,057,900 ($2.0 million), 0, ¥216,057,900 ($2.0 million), Sakura: Guardian in the North (Toei) NEW 04 (02) ¥195,689,300 ($1.8 million), -37%, ¥944,927,400 ($8.9 million), Black Panther (Disney) WK2 05 (---) ¥164,729,500 ($1.5 million), 0, ¥164,729,500 ($1.4 million), Last Winter, We Parted (Warner Bros.) NEW 06 (04) ¥112,227,700 ($1.0 million), -36%, ¥1,163,508,200 ($10.8 million), Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa) WK3 07 (06) ¥106,215,700 ($996,000), +04%, ¥472,190,400 ($4.3 million), The Shape of Water (Fox) WK2 08 (07) ¥85,031,700 ($798,000), +09%, ¥214,721,808 ($2.0 million), Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple (Kadokawa) WK2 09 (---) ¥85,020,600 ($797,000), 0, ¥85,020,600 ($797,000), Kids on the Slope (Toho/Asmik Ace) NEW 10 (05) ¥72,176,100 ($677,000), -40%, ¥411,265,000 ($3.8 million), The 15:17 to Paris (Warner Bros.) WK2 11 (---) ¥65,918,500 ($618,000), 0, ¥65,918,500 ($618,000), Shimajirō the Movie: Great Adventure on Magic Island (Toho Video Division) NEW 12 (09) ¥27,997,200 ($262,000), -46%, ¥937,046,800 ($8.6 million), Tonight, At the Movies (Warner Bros.) WK5 >Doraemon easily repeats atop the box office for a second weekend, and while its opening weekend was crazy enough, its second weekend might be even more impressive because it's higher than any opening weekend for any past film in the franchise! It's second weekend is even the eleventh highest for an animated film, and the fourth highest for a franchise animated film (only behind Toy Story 3, Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter, and One Piece Film Z) -- pretty remarkable. The thirty-eighth film in the long-running franchise is pretty much locked now to exceed the ¥5 billion ($50 million) blockbuster milestone, and I wouldn't rule out a possible ¥6 billion ($60 million) finish either; aside from the special Stand By Me, Doraemon release, it'll become the first film in the franchise to achieve blockbuster status. >The Greatest Showman is still doing incredibly well -- its weekday business is most impressive -- and has locked up a total north of ¥3.5 billion ($35 million) now, and has a good chance of exceeding the ¥4 billion ($40 million) milestone as well. Despite the lack of award buzz, and no Oscar boost, it's been keeping pace with last year's La La Land. >Sakura: Guardian in the North came in well above what I was estimating, delivering one of the biggest debuts for a non-Kamen Rider live-action film distributed by Toei in quite some time, I believe since the last Partners release. The film sold a solid 188,814 admissions over the weekend across 351 screens. It has a strong likelihood of exceeding the ¥1 billion ($10 million) milestone. >Black Panther experienced the usual sizable second weekend decline for a Marvel/DC film, and slips to fourth place. The global smash is heading toward a total around ¥1.7/1.8 billion ($16/17 million) in Japan, which is relatively small compared to most other markets, but it will be impressive here. >Last Winter, We Parted delivered a decent start for Warner Bros., selling 123,151 admissions over the weekend on 329 screens. Spring Break is approaching in a couple weeks, so it should be able to reach the ¥1 billion ($10 million) milestone. >The Shape of Water clearly received a post-Oscar boost after winning Best Picture and Best Director, increasing in its second weekend following a very strong weekday performance that bested its opening weekend by a solid 44%. It remains to be seen how it holds hereafter, but it's set to become the highest-grossing Academy Award for Best Picture winner since 2010's The Kings Speech, and might be the first to reach the ¥1 billion milestone since then as well.

Corpse : Biggest Modern Opening Weekends (2008-) [ADMISSIONS] Modern Rank (All-Time Rank) Admissions [Screen Count] - Film (Year) 01 (02) 1,484,916 [408] - Yo-Kai Watch: It's the Secret of Birth, Nyan! (2014) 02 (14) 1,140,081 [300] - One Piece Film Z (2012) 03 (19) 987,568 [368] - Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter (2017) 04 (20) 987,387 [428] - Rookies (2009) 05 (21) 974,577 [434] - Yo-Kai Watch: Great King Enma and the 5 Stories, Nyan! (2015) 06 (22) 933,781 [353] - Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare (2016) 07 (26) 880,697 [922] - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 (2011) 08 (27) 828,149 [859] - Alice in Wonderland (2010) 09 (28) 820,830 [739] - One Piece Film Gold (2016) 10 (29) 819,738 [190] - One Piece Film Strong World (2009) 11 (30) 812,557 [481] - Ponyo (2008) 12 (32) 805,350 [409] - Boys Over Flowers: Final (2008) 13 (33) 805,297 [844] - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) 14 (34) 800,258 [958] - Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) 15 (35) 773,184 [800] - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) 16 (36) 771,764 [224] - Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo (2012) 17 (37) 771,516 [989] - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) 18 (38) 766,633 [872] - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 (2010) 19 (40) 747,451 [454] - The Wind Rises (2013) 20 (42) 737,467 [937] - Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) 21 (43) 729,114 [773] - Beauty and the Beast (2017) 22 (45) 717,958 [434] - Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014) 23 (46) 716,629 [381] - Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (2018) 24 (47) 715,727 [653] - Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (2015) 25 (48) 707,339 [447] - Bayside Shakedown 3: Set the Guys Loose! (2010) 700,000+ *Modern = Post-Previews/Early Showings Era. Highest-Grossing Film Franchises 01. ¥103.91 billion ($968 million) - Harry Potter [9 Films], 2001- 02. ¥96.16 billion ($897 million) - Doraemon [37 Films], 1980- 03. ¥82.81 billion ($795 million) - Pokemon [20 Films], 1998- 04. ¥71.89 billion ($684 million) - Detective Conan [21 Films], 1997- 05. ¥67.91 billion ($555 million) - Star Wars [9 Films], 1978- 06. ¥47.33 billion ($373 million) - Kamen Rider [59 Films], 1971- 07. ¥43.36 billion ($421 million) - Pirates of the Caribbean [5 Films], 2003-2017 08. ¥40.73 billion ($412 million) - Bayside Shakedown [4 Films], 1998-2012 09. ¥37.01 billion ($331 million) - Jurassic Park [4 Films], 1993- 10. ¥31.89 billion ($283 million) - Middle-Earth [6 Films], 2002-2015 -¥31.87 billion ($302 million) - Mission: Impossible [5 Films], 1996- -¥30.41 billion ($282 million) - Spider-Man [6 Films], 2002- -¥23.97 billion ($271 million) - Umizaru [4 Films], 2004- Most-Attended Film Franchises 01. 122.41 million - Doraemon [37 Films], 1980- 02. 105.24 million - Godzilla [30 Films], 1954- 03. 82.59 million - Harry Potter [9 Films], 2001- 04. 80.80 million - Otoko wa Tsurai yo [48 Films], 1969-1995 05. 76.86 million - Pokemon [20 Films], 1998- 06. 59.34 million - Detective Conan [21 Films], 1997- 07. 42.67 million - Star Wars [9 Films], 1978- 08. 39.88 million - Kamen Rider [59 Films], 1971- 09. 31.66 million - Pirates of the Caribbean [5 Films], 2003-2017 10. 30.92 million - Bayside Shakedown [4 Films], 1998-2012 -25.19 million - Jurassic Park [4 Films], 1993- -24.55 million - Crayon Shin-chan [25 Films], 1993- -23.61 million - Middle-Earth [6 Films], 2002-2015 Notes: *Ongoing Franchise (sequels in development or announced) *ALL gross and admissions for the Kamen Rider Series are estimates. *NO gross figures available for the Godzilla and Otoko wa Tsurai yo franchises. *NO gross or admissions of a film currently in release are added to the franchise totals. Upcoming Top Film Franchise Releases of 2018: 04/13/18 - Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer 04/13/18 - Crayon Shin-chan: Burst Serving! Kung Fu Boys 05/18/18 - Godzilla: Mobile Battle Proliferation City 05/19/18 - Kamen Rider Amazons: The Last Judgement 06/29/18 - Solo: A Star Wars Story 07/13/18 - Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom 07/13/18 - Pokemon: Everyone's Story 08/03/18 - Mission: Impossible - Fallout 08/04/18 - Kamen Rider Build & Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger: The Movie November 2018 - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald November 2018 - Godzilla: The City Mechanized for the Final Battle December 2018 - Kamen Rider X Kamen Rider: Movie Taisen 2019

Corpse : (C)藤子プロ・小学館・テレビ朝日・シンエイ・ADK 2018 Weekend Actuals (03/03-04) 01 (---) ¥843,148,500 ($7.9 million), 0, ¥843,148,500 ($7.9 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) NEW 02 (---) ¥310,000,000 ($2.9 million), 0, ¥503,325,600 ($4.8 million), Black Panther (Disney) NEW 03 (01) ¥292,155,100 ($2.8 million), -20%, ¥2,080,959,400 ($19.6 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK3 04 (02) ¥174,691,500 ($1.6 million), -38%, ¥823,546,300 ($7.7 million), Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa) WK2 05 (---) ¥120,000,000 ($1.1 million), 0, ¥203,008,200 ($1.8 million), The 15:17 to Paris (Warner Bros.) NEW 06 (---) ¥110,000,000 ($1.0 million), 0, ¥177,714,900 ($1.6 million), The Shape of Water (Fox) NEW 07 (---) ¥86,684,800 ($821,000), 0, ¥86,684,800 ($821,000), Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple (Kadokawa) NEW 08 (---) ¥75,000,000 ($705,000), 0, ¥75,000,000 ($705,000), Principal: Am I a Heroine in Love? (Aniplex) NEW 09 (03) ¥52,261,100 ($495,000), -38%, ¥843,086,100 ($7.8 million), Tonight, At the Movies (Warner Bros.) WK4 10 (05) ¥33,109,300 ($314,000), -31%, ¥128,884,400 ($1.2 million), Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (Showgate) WK2 >Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island, the thirty-eighth installment in Japan's most-attended film franchise ever, smashed the series record set by last year's film by 22%, selling a magnificent 716,629 admissions across 381 screens, overwhelming the weekend competition in the first weekend of the Spring box-office season. The Doraemon franchise has shown signs of growth in recent years, but nothing like the spike this year's entry experienced. Even if it only develops legs among the weakest in the series, it's still likely to reach the ¥5 billion ($50 million) blockbuster milestone to become the first entry to achieve the status. >Black Panther earned itself a good start in second place, selling 199,000 admissions over the weekend frame across 631 screens, and 343,150 admissions since opening ahead of the weekend last Thursday. The debut may appear underwhelming, and while it's nothing particularly special, it's still higher than the average Marvel/DC release by a comfortable margin. Look for the Wakanda King to finish a bit above the ¥1.5 billion ($15 million) mark. >The Greatest Showman falls to third place, experiencing a harder, but still respectable, third weekend versus La La Land from last year. There's nothing to suggest it'll suddenly begin seeing bigger drops, and with Spring Break approaching in the next couple weeks, it should finish above the ¥3.5 billion ($35 million) mark. >The 15:17 to Paris manages to crack the Top 5, likely due to the draw ability of Clint Eastwood in the market. The poorly received latest from Eastwood sold a mediocre 91,000 admissions over the weekend frame across 237 screens, and 164,155 admissions since opening ahead of the weekend last Thursday. >The Shape of Water ends up missing the Top 5, but look for it to climb the chart (or remain very stable) next weekend following its Best Picture and Best Director victories at the Academy Awards on Sunday. Its weekend frame figure is still an estimate, but since opening early ahead of the weekend last Thursday, it has sold 139,866 admissions on 260 screens. Note: There are a few missing actual figures at the moment (anything with 3+ consecutive 0's), but I'd rather not wait a day or two for them, and will update this post when they're available..

Corpse : (C)藤子プロ・小学館・テレビ朝日・シンエイ・ADK 2018 Weekend Forecast (03/03-04) 01 (---) ¥700,000,000 ($6.6 million), 0, ¥700,000,000 ($6.6 million), Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island (Toho) NEW 02 (01) ¥298,000,000 ($2.7 million), -18%, ¥2,075,000,000 ($19.5 million), The Greatest Showman (Fox) WK3 03 (---) ¥275,000,000 ($2.6 million), 0, ¥425,000,000 ($4.0 million), Black Panther (Disney) NEW 04 (02) ¥176,000,000 ($1.6 million), -37%, ¥750,000,000 ($7.1 million), Legend of the Demon Cat (Toho/Kadokawa) WK2 05 (---) ¥125,000,000 ($1.1 million), 0, ¥185,000,000 ($1.7 million), The Shape of Water (Fox) NEW 06 (---) ¥100,000,000 ($940,000), 0, ¥160,000,000 ($1.4 million), The 15:17 to Paris (Warner Bros.) NEW 07 (---) ¥75,000,000 ($705,000), 0, ¥75,000,000 ($705,000), Principal: Am I a Heroine in Love? (Aniplex) NEW 08 (---) ¥60,000,000 ($565,000), 0, ¥60,000,000 ($565,000), Bungo Stray Dogs: Dead Apple (Kadokawa) NEW 09 (03) ¥53,000,000 ($500,000), -38%, ¥825,000,000 ($7.6 million), Tonight, At the Movies (Warner Bros.) WK4 10 (04) ¥35,000,000 ($330,000), -36%, ¥1,475,000,000 ($13.5 million), The Crimes That Bind (Toho) WK6 A lot is going on this weekend. The first weekend of March has been kicking off the start of the spring box-office season for years, but recently more and more studios are competing over the weekend. The weekend has also long been Doraemon's weekend to open every year, and with only a couple exceptions, the blue robot cat always comes out on top. >Doraemon: Nobita's Treasure Island is the thirty-eighth installment in Japan's most-attended film franchise ever, and it looks possible that it could set a franchise opening weekend record. Some of the pre-sales data is missing this weekend, unfortunately, but it's outpacing last year's film by a decent amount based on what I've been able to compare. The Doraemon films regularly have one of the ten biggest opening weekends of the year, and since they've also been growing, they're creeping into the yearly top 5 opening weekends in recent years. >The Greatest Showman will continue to deliver great numbers in the face of so many new openers. Its run so far is very reminiscent of La La Land this same time last year. >Black Panther will be aiming for a second place start, but I'm currently projecting a third place debut. Either way, though, its pre-sales are good and its earnings from Thursday and Friday ahead of the weekend were solid as well. And don't let a possible third place debut fool you because its gross is very good for Marvel/DC. If it debuts near the forecast, it'll be higher than any superhero film from 2017 except for Spider-Man: Homecoming. >The Shape of Water and The 15:17 to Paris were very close ahead of the weekend, but the former has the slight edge in Saturday pre-sales and should be considered more of the weekend film, so I'm predicting it'll be the one to round out the Top 5 over the weekend.

Corpse : 2017 Multipliers (Wide Releases; ¥1 Billion+ Earners) [FINAL] 15+ (Phenomenal) x13.96 - Let Me Eat Your Pancreas x12.21 - Despicable Me 3 x11.92 - IT x11.64 - Beauty and the Beast x10.63 - La La Land 10+ (Exceptional) x9.76 - Today, I Will Date With Tomorrow's You x9.46 - Sing x9.01 - Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High x8.89 - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them x8.77 - Moana x8.29 - The Last Recipe x8.27 - A Man Called Pirate 8+ (Great) x7.91 - Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon x7.68 - Mary and the Witch's Flower x7.65 - Daytime Shooting Star x7.50 - Confessions of a Murderer x7.10 - Gintama x7.09 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 7+ (Good) x6.89 - Resident Evil: The Final Chapter x6.88 - Pokemon: I Choose You! x6.70 - Let's Go, Jets! x6.51 (-5.1%) - 2017 Average Multiplier x6.40 - Doraemon: Great Adventure in the Antarctic x6.40 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales x6.39 - The Fate of the Furious x6.36 - Kiseki: Sobito of That Day x6.34 - The Mole Song 2: Hong Kong Crazy Uproar Song x6.33 - Mix x6.26 - The Third Murderer x6.24 - Spider-Man: Homecoming x6.06 - Sekigahara 6+ (Average) x5.93 - Narratage x5.92 - Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale x5.83 - P & JK x5.63 - Cars 3 x5.58 - Kuroko's Basketball The Movie: Last Game x5.40 - Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or Bottom? x5.38 - Justice League x5.36 - Yo-Kai Watch: Great Adventure of the Flying Whale x5.35 - Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter x5.33 - Transformers: The Last Knight x5.30 - Ajin: Demi-Human x5.29 - Blade Runner 2049 x5.22 - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children x5.20 - Miracles of the Namiya General Store x5.18 - Shinobi's Country x5.12 - The Disastrous Life of Saiki K x5.06 - Dunkirk x5.05 - Kong: Skull Island x5.03 - Wonder Woman 5+ (Mediocre) x4.99 - Thor: Ragnarok x4.98 - Memory x4.92 - The Mummy x4.92 - Honnouji Hotel x4.91 - Crayon Shin-chan: Invasion!!! Shiriri x4.78 - Partners: The Movie IV x4.75 - Tokyo Ghoul x4.74 - Doctor Strange x4.57 - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 x4.51 - Outrage Coda x4.31 - High & Low 3: Final Mission 4+ (Poor) x3.81 - High & Low 2: End of Sky x3.51 - Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel Ch.1 - Presage Flower 3+ (Awful) All-Time Best Multipliers (¥1 Billion Earners; Wide Releases) [1998-] 01. 33.34 - Frozen (Mar., 2014) 02. 30.37 - Spirited Away (July, 2001) 03. 26.99 - Princess Mononoke (July, 1997) 04. 26.92 - Your Name. (Aug., 2016) 05. 26.13 - Avatar (Dec., 2009) 06. 23.21 - Departures (Sept., 2008) 07. 19.96 - Les Miserables (Dec., 2012) 08. 17.07 - Zootopia (Apr., 2016) 09. 16.44 - The Cat Returns (July, 2002) 10. 16.15 - The Eternal Zero (Dec., 2013) 11. 15.69 - Monsters, Inc. (Mar., 2002) 12. 15.29 - Big Hero 6 (Dec., 2014) 13. 15.25 - The Last Samurai (Dec., 2003) 14. 14.98 - Ponyo (July, 2008) 15. 14.84 - Howl's Moving Castle (Nov., 2004) 16. 14.81 - Always: Sunset on Third Street (Nov., 2005) 17. 14.25 - Confessions (June, 2010) 18. 13.96 - Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (July, 2017) 19. 13.96 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (July, 2003) 20. 13.83 - Thermae Romae (Apr., 2012) 21. 13.64 - Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (May, 2004) 22. 13.20 - Shin Godzilla (July, 2016) 23. 13.09 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Dec., 2001) 24. 12.98 - Summer Wars (Aug., 2009) 25. 12.88 - Ted (Jan., 2013) 26. 12.51 - The Wind Rises (July, 2013) 27. 12.50 - The Phantom of the Opera (Jan., 2005) 28. 12.48 - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Aug., 2003) 29. 12.24 - Finding Nemo (Dec., 2003) 30. 12.21 - Despicable Me 3 (July, 2017) 31. 12.16 - Wolf Children (July, 2012)

Corpse : 2017 - Top Grossing Films (FINAL) ¥12.40 billion ($109.7 million) / 8.95 million - Beauty and the Beast (Disney) ¥7.34 billion ($64.8 million) / 5.24 million - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Warner Bros.) ¥7.31 billion ($66.1 million) / 6.22 million - Despicable Me 3 (Toho-Towa) ¥6.89 billion ($61.6 million) / 5.35 million - Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter (Toho) ¥6.71 billion ($60.2 million) / 4.55 million - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Disney) ¥5.16 billion ($46.1 million) / 4.25 million - Moana (Disney) ¥5.11 billion ($45.4 million) / 4.17 million - Sing (Toho-Towa) ¥4.63 billion ($39.9 million) / 3.08 million - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Disney) ¥4.43 billion ($39.6 million) / 3.89 million - Doraemon: Great Adventure in the Antarctic (Toho) ¥4.42 billion ($39.0 million) / 3.23 million - La La Land (Gaga) ¥4.27 billion ($37.9 million) / 2.88 million - Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Sony) ¥4.05 billion ($36.2 million) / 2.80 million - The Fate of the Furious (Toho-Towa) ¥3.84 billion ($35.4 million) / 2.90 million - Gintama (Warner Bros.) ¥3.55 billion ($32.3 million) / 3.03 million - Pokemon: I Choose You! (Toho) ¥3.52 billion ($31.8 million) / 2.77 million - Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (Toho) ¥3.29 billion ($29.7 million) / 2.65 million - Mary and the Witch's Flower (Toho) ¥3.26 billion ($28.2 million) / 2.94 million - Yo-Kai Watch: Great Adventure of the Flying Whale (Toho) ¥2.80 billion ($25.6 million) / 1.89 million - Spider-Man: Homecoming (Sony) ¥2.67 billion ($23.9 million) / 2.15 million - In This Corner of the World (Tokyo Theaters, Co.) ¥2.52 billion ($22.4 million) / 1.77 million - Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale (Aniplex) ¥2.51 billion ($22.2 million) / 1.99 million - Shinobi's Country (Toho) ¥2.41 billion ($21.5 million) / 1.81 million - Confessions of a Murderer (Warner Bros.) ¥2.40 billion ($21.5 million) / 1.94 million - Sekigahara (Toho) ¥2.37 billion ($20.4 million) / 1.91 million - A Man Called Pirate (Toho) ¥2.33 billion ($20.3 million) / 1.77 million - Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon (Toho) ¥2.20 billion ($19.6 million) / 1.66 million - IT (Warner Bros.) ¥2.00 billion ($17.7 million) / 1.34 million - Kong: Skull Island (Warner Bros.) ¥1.93 billion ($17.1 million) / 1.52 million - Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High (Toho) ¥1.92 billion ($17.1 million) / 1.57 million - Partners: The Movie IV (Toei) ¥1.87 billion ($16.4 million) / 1.22 million - Doctor Strange (Disney) ¥1.85 billion ($16.0 million) / 1.49 million - Tomorrow, I Will Date With Yesterday's You (Toho) ¥1.80 billion ($16.1 million) / 1.44 million - Cars 3 (Disney) ¥1.75 billion ($15.8 million) / 1.17 million - Transformers: The Last Knight (Toho-Towa) ¥1.64 billion ($14.7 million) / 1.17 million - Dunkirk (Warner Bros.) ¥1.62 billion ($14.3 million) / 1.37 million - Crayon Shin-chan: Invasion!! Shiriri (Toho) ¥1.59 billion ($14.2 million) / 1.23 million - Fireworks, Should We It From the Side or the Bottom? (Toho) ¥1.59 billion ($14.1 million) / 1.17 million - Outrage Coda (Warner Bros.) ¥1.53 billion ($13.9 million) / 1.05 million - The Mummy (Toho-Towa) ¥1.49 billion ($13.2 million) / 1.18 million - Mix (Toho) ¥1.48 billion ($12.9 million) / 1.17 million - Kiseki: Sobito of That Day (Toei) ¥1.46 billion ($12.9 million) / 1.17 million - The Third Murderer (Toho) ¥1.45 billion ($12.8 million) / 1.00 million - Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel, Ch. I - Presage Flower (Aniplex) ¥1.44 billion ($12.8 million) / 1.05 million - Ajin: Demi-Human (Toho) ¥1.43 billion ($12.6 million) / 1.08 million - The Mole Song 2: Hong Kong Crazy Uproar (Toho) ¥1.37 billion ($12.0 million) / 1.18 million - Daytime Shooting Star (Toho) ¥1.34 billion ($12.2 million) / 0.99 million - Wonder Woman (Warner Bros.) ¥1.34 billion ($12.2 million) / 1.04 million - High & Low 2: End of Sky (Shochiku) ¥1.31 billion ($11.7 million) / 0.97 million - High & Low 3: Final Mission (Shochiku) ¥1.30 billion ($11.4 million) / 1.11 million - Let's Go, Jets! (Toho) ¥1.28 billion ($11.2 million) / 0.97 million - Narratage (Toho/Asmik Ace) ¥1.21 billion ($10.6 million) / 0.87 million - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Fox) ¥1.20 billion ($10.5 million) / 0.83 million - Blade Runner 2049 (Sony) ¥1.15 billion ($10.2 million) / 0.82 million - Thor: Ragnarok (Disney) ¥1.14 billion ($10.1 million) / 0.78 million - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Disney) ¥1.14 billion ($10.1 million) / 0.90 million - The Last Recipe (Toho) ¥1.13 billion ($10.0 million) / 0.92 million - Memory (Toho) ¥1.10 billion ($9.8 million) / 0.84 million - Tokyo Ghoul (Shochiku) ¥1.10 billion ($9.8 million) / 0.75 million - Justice League (Warner Bros.) ¥1.09 billion ($9.8 million) / 0.88 million - Miracles of the Namiya General Store (Kadokawa/Shochiku) ¥1.06 billion ($9.5 million) / 0.73 million - Kuroko's Basketball The Movie: Last Game (Shochiku) ¥1.01 billion ($9.0 million) / 0.88 million - Honnouji Hotel (Toho) ¥1.01 billion ($9.0 million) / 0.81 million - P & JK (Shochiku) ¥1.00 billion ($9.0 million) / 0.81 million - The Disastrous Life of Saiki K (Sony/Asmik Ace)

Per Corpse : 2017 Yearly Results: Yearly Revenue: ¥228.572 billion ($2.06 billion), -3.0% , 2nd Biggest Year Ever (behind 2016) Yearly Admissions: 174,483,000, -3.2%, 2nd Most-Attended Year Since 2000 (behind 2016) Japanese Film Share - 54.9%: ¥125.483 billion ($1.13 billion), -15.5%, 2nd Biggest Year Ever (behind 2016) Imported Film Share - 45.1%: ¥103.089 billion ($930 million), +18.6%, Biggest Year Since 2007 # Of Japanese Films Released: 594, -2.6%, 3rd Most Japanese Films Ever Released (behind 2014 and 2016) # Of Imported Films Released: 593, +10.0%, Most Imported Films Ever Released (beating 2014) # Of Overall Films Released: 1,187, +0.3%, Most Films Ever Released (beating 2014) # Of Films Reaching ¥1 Billion ($10 million): 62, no change, Ties Record (with 2005 and 2016) Number of Theater Screens: 3,525, +0.2%, Most Screens Since 1969! Average Ticket Price: ¥1,310 ($11.80), +0.01%, New Record! (beating 2016) *2017 marks the tenth-consecutive year that Japanese Films earned more than Imported Films.

As someone who finds Star Wars overrated as hell, especially the Disneyfied version, I'm not unhappy to see it flop massively in the future biggest market in the world.

I'll go over but just barely.

Not to mention "Tomorrow Never Dies" was running against what would become an unsinkable Titanic box-office wise.

Disney could predict a $0 weekend and TLJ would somehow find a way to fall from those too.

And that's with US population increasing about 15-20 million since then. Doesn't surprise me though. I don't know many young people (generation Z) who still go to the movies regularly. That's why studios are producing so many remakes and sequels and playing so much on the nostalgia factor. When baby-boomers die, these numbers will drop like a rock. It's not going to be pretty.